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President Marcos bared before the Filipino community in New Delhi that the Philippines and India will elevate their relationship to a strategic partnership.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. meets with the Filipino community at the Taj Mahal Hotel in New Delhi, India on Aug. 4, 2025, marking the start of his five-day State Visit. (Photo courtesy of PPA)
"For seven and a half decades, we have had excellent relations with India. But tomorrow, this relationship is going to receive a major boost, a major upgrade, as the Prime Minister and I inaugurate a Strategic Partnership between the Philippines and India," Marcos said in his speech during his meeting with Filipinos on Monday night, Aug. 4.
Marcos said such move will make way for Philippines-India ties to cooperate and explore partnerships in many more areas.
"This means that from now on, our cooperation will intensify further and become even more impactful in many, many areas that we had not explored with India before such as defense, trade and investment, health, tourism, other areas," he said.
The President recognized that India is a vast country, and there are extensive fields where the two countries can mutually benefit.
Marcos told the Filipino community in India that his administration is focused on job and livelihood generation.
Being in India, you will be pleased to know that we are ramping up our relations with this country, now the fourth largest economy in the world.
"In the coming days, our delegation will be engaging not only the government of Prime Minister Modi, but also India’s biggest enterprises. We would like to see them invest more and generate more jobs back home," he said.
"We are bridging and facilitating travel and people-to-people ties between us. Last year, our Embassy launched the e-Visa, which greatly eased the visa process. But we did not stop there. We launched the visa-free entry scheme for Indian tourists last June," he added.
These, Marcos said, will be complemented soon by the recovery of direct flights, led by Air India.
"We are determined to expand this to other carriers and to link other cities between the Philippines and India," he added.
The President also disclosed to Filipinos in India that as part of his visit, they will sign the Social Security Agreement between the Philippines and India.
Marcos is in India for a five-day State Visit.
